Steampunk Beauty
A vintage office setting in a historic mansion and a gorgeous redhead model in steampunk cosplay made for a pretty incredible photoshoot. She decided to take a ...
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A vintage office setting in a historic mansion and a gorgeous redhead model in steampunk cosplay made for a pretty incredible photoshoot. She decided to take a moment in the big leather chair and put her booted feet up on the desk like a boss.
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PENTAX K-1
Aperture 16/5 ISO 100 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 85/1 
Howey in the Hills, Florida, US
Oct, 2018Views
553
Likes
Awards
Top Shot Award 21
Elite
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Virtuoso
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1Categories
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this photo in a historic mansion in Central Florida. We were having a photographer/model meetup, and the office in the mansion matched her outfit perfectly.Time
The meetup started in early morning, and this was perhaps the third model with whom I worked, so this would have been late morning. The late morning light made it easier to balance indoor and outdoor lighting.Lighting
My challenge was to balance the light on the model with the light outside so I got neither blown-out highlights or deep shadows. I shot this using two speedlights both behind me at about 45°. It took a few tries to get the light balanced to it looks more natural than artificial.Equipment
I shot this handheld with a Pentax K-1 with a Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lens and two Yongnuo speedlights remotely triggered.Inspiration
This was a photographer/model meetup and this model came in full steampunk cosplay. I enjoy shooting cosplayers because of their creativity and willingness to do playful and interesting posing. The office space in the mansion where this was shot had a very cool desk and chair, with a lot of props the complemented the steampunk styling.Editing
I did simple color and exposure corrections on this shot, but since I started as a film shooter, I try to get my photos close to correct in the camera so I don't have to do a lot of post processing.In my camera bag
I carry my camera a lot, so I tend to pack light. I have my Pentax K-1 with a Pentax 24–70mm f/2.8 lens, and a Pentax 50mm f/1.4 lens.Feedback
Get to know your model and really collaborate. A lot of models have a good idea of what they want and will bring better energy and creativity to the shoot if you work with them. Also be ready to direct the model. Sometimes a shot is almost what you want, and a little adjustment here or there can get you the shot you both wanted. I knew I wanted her in the chair with her feet up on the desk, but she brought the relaxed posing and the hair twirling which combined to make an awesome portrait.
